Sony launch 3D head-mounted display for scalpel-wielding surgeons

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Sony have been touting Tron-like head-mounted displays since back in 2011, giving gamers and film fans a personal 3D viewing experience by sticking two tiny screens in front of their eyes in the HMZ-T1 and HMZ-T2 headsets. Having not exactly been roaring success with consumers, Sony are changing tact a bit, revealing the HMM-3000MT which is aimed instead at surgeons.

Acting as the viewing screen for the internal end of medical endoscope, the HMM-3000MT lets surgeons see inside a patient in 2D or 3D, with the added depth of three dimensional imagery said to allow for greater precision when working in tight quarters.

The use of head-mounted screens are also said to help doctors stay focussed, meaning they won’t have to restrict their posture or turn away from the job at hand.

Packing in a pair of 0.7-inch 720p OLED panels (just like the headsets aimed at consumers), the design has been tweaked to allow use in a standing position to be more comfortable, while the software now allows for flipped camera views and picture-in-picture – handy for getting another angle of an operation.

Greenlit for use in Japan, there’s no word yet on an international roll-out.